Introduction to Police Technology

Copyright 2005 - 2009: Hi Tech Criminal Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Police TechnologyPolice Technology
Chapter OneChapter One
Introduction toIntroduction to

Copyright 2005 - 2009: Hi Tech Criminal Justice, Raymond
Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives
 tactical and strategic informationtactical and strategic information
 What technology is meant inWhat technology is meant in
conjunction and why technology inconjunction and why technology in
law enforcement should belaw enforcement should be
explored.explored.
 efficiency and effectiveness.efficiency and effectiveness.
 Community PolicingCommunity Policing ..
 Situational crime prevention.Situational crime prevention.
 Fragmentation.Fragmentation.

Ask yourself …Ask yourself …
 How does the line-How does the line-
employee (whetheremployee (whether
sworn or non-sworn)sworn or non-sworn)
view his or herview his or her
technology?technology?
 What are the issuesWhat are the issues
for the supervisor orfor the supervisor or
manager?manager?

Multiple Points of ViewMultiple Points of View
 Line employeeLine employee
 SupervisorSupervisor
 Police managerPolice manager
End User
Oversight
Decision maker

View technology againstView technology against
the backdrop ofthe backdrop of . . .. . .
 Efficiency/effectivenessEfficiency/effectiveness
 Community policingCommunity policing
 Situational crime preventionSituational crime prevention
 FragmentationFragmentation

Technology in theTechnology in the
21st century is not21st century is not
defined by what it isdefined by what it is
or what is does, butor what is does, but
more by how it ismore by how it is
used. It is in theused. It is in the
context of usecontext of use thatthat
technology istechnology is
defined.defined.
What is technology?
Photograph provided by Robert Eplett, CaliforniaPhotograph provided by Robert Eplett, California
Governor’s Office of Emergency ServicesGovernor’s Office of Emergency Services

Why Examine InformationWhy Examine Information
Technology?Technology?
Most work done by police employeesMost work done by police employees
involves information. When a policeinvolves information. When a police
officer is:officer is:
 interviewinginterviewing a victim or witness,a victim or witness,
 interrogatinginterrogating a suspect, ora suspect, or
 cultivatingcultivating an informantan informant
- - - he or she is gathering information- - - he or she is gathering information

An education about law enforcement ITAn education about law enforcement IT
can:can:
 Improve the chances for successful useImprove the chances for successful use
and implementation;and implementation;
 Enhance the prosecution of offenders;Enhance the prosecution of offenders;
 Allow supervisors or managers to lead,Allow supervisors or managers to lead,
train, and supervise; and,train, and supervise; and,
 Increase success and satisfaction withIncrease success and satisfaction with
technology as end-user and decision-technology as end-user and decision-
maker increase.maker increase.

Reliance onReliance on
information frominformation from
official sourcesofficial sources
resulted in . . .resulted in . . .
Reduced publicReduced public
contact, and maycontact, and may
have reducedhave reduced
public confidencepublic confidence

Tactical InformationTactical Information
 Devices that can beDevices that can be
used in the field forused in the field for
immediate decisionimmediate decision
making will be referredmaking will be referred
to asto as tactical informationtactical information
technologies.technologies.
 Decisions that policeDecisions that police
officers make in theofficers make in the
field, those required tofield, those required to
be immediate, can bebe immediate, can be
thought of asthought of as tacticaltactical
decisions.decisions.

Strategic InformationStrategic Information
 Strategic informationStrategic information
can be thought of ascan be thought of as
information used ininformation used in
planning, such as inplanning, such as in
crime analysis.crime analysis.
 Information is usedInformation is used
strategicallystrategically by policeby police
officers andofficers and
detectives, and bydetectives, and by
police managers inpolice managers in
other ways.other ways.
Photographs provided by OBS INC., Specialty Vehicles

Strategic InformationStrategic Information
For detectives,For detectives,
informationinformation
(statements,(statements,
evidence, and theirevidence, and their
observations) isobservations) is
organized andorganized and
analyzed in order toanalyzed in order to
determine whatdetermine what
happened and whohappened and who
did it.did it.
Police managers lookPolice managers look
as issues likeas issues like
deployment,deployment,
scheduling, training,scheduling, training,
and riskand risk
management.management.

EfficiencyEfficiency and Effectivenessand Effectiveness
EfficiencyEfficiency is defined as doingis defined as doing
something cheaper; or, the ability tosomething cheaper; or, the ability to
complete an activity using fewercomplete an activity using fewer
inputs.inputs.
Typically, informationTypically, information
technology istechnology is
evaluated byevaluated by
comparing costscomparing costs
against benefitsagainst benefits

The real goal ofThe real goal of effectivenesseffectiveness is theis the
attainment of some goal. Therefore,attainment of some goal. Therefore,
an organization can be effective butan organization can be effective but
not efficient and vice versa.not efficient and vice versa.
Efficiency andEfficiency and EffectivenessEffectiveness
Does the technology
impact efficiency?
Does this technology
impact effectiveness?

Estimating benefits is much harderEstimating benefits is much harder
in law enforcement because thein law enforcement because the
benefits are intangible or difficult tobenefits are intangible or difficult to
quantify.quantify.
Efficiency and EffectivenessEfficiency and Effectiveness

Efficiency and EffectivenessEfficiency and Effectiveness
How muchHow much
crime is there?crime is there?
Crime is often unreported:
•Victim doesn’t report –
burglary from motor vehicle
•Stigma
•Victim doesn’t know

Community PolicingCommunity Policing
 Although there are a number of differentAlthough there are a number of different
definitions, there are four fairly commondefinitions, there are four fairly common
themes:themes:
 Partnership with the communityPartnership with the community
 DecentralizationDecentralization
 Organization-wide implementationOrganization-wide implementation
 Problem solvingProblem solving

((Partnership with the community)Partnership with the community)
 The police cannotThe police cannot
solve all communitysolve all community
problems –problems –
partnerships withpartnerships with
other agencies andother agencies and
the community arethe community are
requiredrequired
 Police officers andPolice officers and
other personnelother personnel
should be assigned toshould be assigned to
specific geographicspecific geographic
boundaries.boundaries.

((Decentralization)Decentralization)
 Decision makingDecision making
and accountabilityand accountability
must bemust be
decentralized,decentralized,
allowingallowing
employees at allemployees at all
levels to makelevels to make
decisions withindecisions within
their areas oftheir areas of
responsibilityresponsibility
Photograph provided by Cross Match Technologies, Inc.

((Organization-wide implementation)Organization-wide implementation)
 Patrol officers, detectives, supervisors,Patrol officers, detectives, supervisors,
members of specialized units and policemembers of specialized units and police
managers must be committed tomanagers must be committed to
community policingcommunity policing..

(Problem Solving)(Problem Solving)
 Problem solving is the use of theProblem solving is the use of the
scientificscientific methodmethod (observe,(observe,
hypothesize, experiment,hypothesize, experiment,
conclude) as a means to remedyconclude) as a means to remedy
or mitigate community problems.or mitigate community problems.
 For police officers, the scientificFor police officers, the scientific
method is often restated as themethod is often restated as the
problem solving modelproblem solving model SARASARA
(Scan, Analyze, Respond, and(Scan, Analyze, Respond, and
Assess).Assess).

Problem SolvingProblem Solving
 It is ultimately moreIt is ultimately more efficientefficient andand effectiveeffective toto
fix a problem than the alternative offix a problem than the alternative of
repeatedly responding to the symptoms of arepeatedly responding to the symptoms of a
problem – calls for service.problem – calls for service.
 Problem solving efforts are very likely toProblem solving efforts are very likely to
create new partnerships and bonds betweencreate new partnerships and bonds between
the community, the police and other servicethe community, the police and other service
providers.providers.

Crime preventionCrime prevention targets the roottargets the root
causes of crime and disorder in twocauses of crime and disorder in two
ways:ways:
 EducationEducation; and,; and,
 Problem solvingProblem solving..
Problem SolvingProblem Solving

Situational Crime PreventionSituational Crime Prevention
There are three parts to situational crimeThere are three parts to situational crime
prevention:prevention:
 Targeting specific forms of crimeTargeting specific forms of crime
 Changing the environment.Changing the environment.
 Increasing offender riskIncreasing offender risk

In the definition ofIn the definition of
community policingcommunity policing
published by thepublished by the
Department of JusticeDepartment of Justice
(DOJ), Technology is(DOJ), Technology is
viewed as anviewed as an
““enhancer” ofenhancer” of
community policing.community policing.

FragmentationFragmentation
Many adjoining andMany adjoining and
overlapping lawoverlapping law
enforcementenforcement
jurisdictions cannotjurisdictions cannot
communicate on thecommunicate on the
radio or readilyradio or readily
exchange data.exchange data.

Criminal justice isCriminal justice is
intentionally fragmentedintentionally fragmented
in order to maintain thein order to maintain the
checks and balanceschecks and balances
essential to ouressential to our
democracy.democracy.
This fragmentation alsoThis fragmentation also
serves to protect theserves to protect the
privacy of incriminatingprivacy of incriminating
information about theinformation about the
people who come inpeople who come in
contact with thecontact with the
criminal justice system.criminal justice system.

InteroperabilityInteroperability or theor the
ability for different agenciesability for different agencies
to communicate viato communicate via
technology is often causedtechnology is often caused
by theby the fragmentationfragmentation..
Photograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Governor’s Office of EmergencyPhotograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Governor’s Office of Emergency
ServicesServices
In later chapters
you will see this
is a device used
to increase
interoperability

A thought………..Some peopleA thought………..Some people
believe that criminal justice isbelieve that criminal justice is
fragmented because of institutionalfragmented because of institutional
paranoia; agencies don’t want otherparanoia; agencies don’t want other
agencies to know what they know andagencies to know what they know and
thereby be in a position to challengethereby be in a position to challenge
their decisions.their decisions.

Copyright 2005 - 2009: Hi Tech Criminal Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Go to theGo to the Student ResourcesStudent Resources page atpage at
www.hitechcj.comwww.hitechcj.com

Introduction to Police Technology

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